ISLAMABAD: Newly elected Member National Assembly (MNA) of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Chairperson, NA Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh has said that the incoming government would focus on promoting ease of doing business to facilitate the better growth of business and investment activities in the country.
Talking to the business community during his visit to the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Friday, he said that the new government would make business and economic policies in consultation with the business community to promote a conducive business environment and support them in business promotion.
Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh said that the new government would try to bring further reforms in FBR to broaden the tax net and improve tax culture. He said that addressing the key issues of the business community would be a key focus of the new government to enhance its role in the economic development of the country.
The PML-N’s MNA elect assured that he would cooperate with the business community in addressing their concerns and facilitating them in business development.
Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that Pakistan needs to promote trade and exports to revive its economy and stressed that the new government should extend maximum facilitation to the private sectors in realizing the actual export potential of the country.
He said that the loss-making commercial state-owned entities are a huge burden on the national exchequer and stressed that the new government should expedite their privatization to reduce their losses and improve their performance.
The ICCI President said that Pakistan has huge potential to promote regional trade and the incoming government should work for regional trade promotion to achieve beneficial results for its economy.
Ahsan Zafar assured that the business community would fully cooperate with the new government in promoting the business and economic interests of the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Senior Vice President ICCI Faad Waheed said that the new government should focus on promoting industrialization to create new jobs and improve exports. For this purpose, more industrial zones should be established across the country that would attract investment to the country.
Vice President ICCI, Engr. Azhar ul Islam Zafar said that the new government should withdraw tax on immovable property under Section 7E as it has badly affected the business activities in the real estate sector, which is harmful to the economy,
Former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG Pakistan, Zafar Bakhtawari said that the new government should focus on establishing direct air links of Pakistan with major export markets to improve its exports. He said that PIA should be privatized to turnaround it from huge losses.
